New interview with Xuefei Yang ‘We Need to Bridge the Innovation–Industry Gap for Water Circularity’
During the Water Projects Europe side event, held in the framework of Water Knowledge Europe 2025 – Winter Edition, the EU-funded RESURGENCE project underlined a critical challenge for Europe’s water transition: the persistent gap between innovation development and real industrial application.
In an interview recorded at the event, Xuefei Yang, Project Coordinator of RESURGENCE and Researcher at CETIM Technological Centre, emphasised that increasing water circularity in Europe will require more effective mechanisms to bring research, innovation, and industry closer together.
“There is still a gap between innovation development and real industrial application. We need efficient solutions to bridge these two sectors in order to increase water circularity,” said Xuefei Yang.
The interview was conducted during the high-level session “Circularity in Industrial Water”, organised by Water Europe, which brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and research organisations to discuss how water can move beyond regulatory compliance and become a strategic driver of competitiveness, resilience, and financial performance.
RESURGENCE is currently testing and demonstrating advanced solutions for industrial water reuse and resource recovery, aiming to transform industrial wastewater into a valuable multi-resource stream. By integrating digital tools, innovative recovery technologies, and real-life demonstration sites, the project addresses one of the main barriers to uptake: the lack of proven, scalable solutions operating under real industrial conditions.
Throughout the Water Projects Europe session, discussions highlighted that while many technologies are technically mature, their adoption is often slowed by fragmented regulation, limited financial incentives, and insufficient collaboration between innovators and end users. RESURGENCE tackles these challenges by enabling industries to collaborate, share experiences, and jointly de-risk investments through demonstration at scale.
